Elon Musk accuses the media of "sugarcoating" lies

May 23, 2018 / 4:22 PM
/ MoneyWatch

Tesla CEO Elon Musk under fire

Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk is ratcheting up his war with the press, accusing media companies in a tweet of hypocrisy and of having lost the public's trust. He also vowed to launch a website where users "can rate the core truth of any article" and track the credibility of journalists and publications.

"The holier-than-thou hypocrisy of big media companies who lay claim to the truth, but publish only enough to sugarcoat the lie, is why the public no longer respects them," he wrote.

"Anytime anyone criticizes the media, the media shrieks 'You're just like Trump!'" Musk wrote. "Why do you think he got elected in the first place? Because no ones believes you any more. You lost your credibility a long time ago.

The holier-than-thou hypocrisy of big media companies who lay claim to the truth, but publish only enough to sugarcoat the lie, is why the public no longer respects them https://t.co/Ay2DwCOMkr

Thought you’d say that. Anytime anyone criticizes the media, the media shrieks “You’re just like Trump!” Why do you think he got elected in the first place? Because no ones believes you any more. You lost your credibility a long time ago.

Tesla's Model 3 sedan, which the car maker is counting on to help it crack mass automobile market, is behind schedule and analysts have questioned whether Tesla can meet production targets. Consumer Reports, which has recommended other Tesla models, declined to recommend the Model 3 this week after finding significant issues, including a braking problem that Musk has promised to fix. Wall Street Analysts have also raised questions about the company's capital position after it burned through $1.1 billion in the first quarter.

Elon Musk responds to report on Tesla Model 3 braking problems

On Wednesday, consumer groups called for an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot feature, which has been linked to two deaths and one injury.

Going to create a site where the public can rate the core truth of any article & track the credibility score over time of each journalist, editor & publication. Thinking of calling it Pravda …

After Tesla earlier this month posted its largest-ever quarterly loss, Musk held a combative phone call with analysts in which he cut people off and berated some for asking "boring bonehead questions." He also said that investors concerned about swings in Tesla's shares "should definitely not buy our stock."